By Braden Weinel//
The Hood College winter and spring athletic teams plan to resume full team practices after the second round of on-campus COVID-19 testing on Feb. 8.
Hood College announced on Jan. 11 that the school’s winter athletic teams would forgo competing this winter after the Mid-Atlantic Conference (MAC) announced that a season would be held, but Susan Kolb, the athletic director of Hood College released a plan for teams to continue practices once the COVID-19 testing results come back.
Hood College President Andrea Chapdelaine, Frederick County health officials and the Hood College emergency COVID-19 response team decided that, due to rising cases in the Frederick area and limited capacity in hospitals, the safest option for students and faculty would be for the winter athletic teams to opt out of the 2020-2021 season.
“Any of us would say it sucks but it’s definitely for the safety of us all,” Bryce Keller, a freshman on the men’s basketball team said.
Many athletes are continuing to train in non-official settings. The men’s basketball team is holding open gyms. The men’s soccer team and women’s softball team are holding player-led practices in the Gambrill Gymnasium.
With the cancellation of competition for the 2020-2021 seasons, athletes are awarded with an extra year of eligibility. The break in conference play also allows for more time and preparation.
“I know our student-athletes and coaches want to compete. While I understand the experience will be different than competing, we will continue to provide an engaging athletic experience and use this opportunity to get better technically, tactically and physically,” Kolb said in a press release regarding Hood athletics.
“A lot more progress can be made for next year,” Chris Smalls said.
Smalls, a junior on the men’s basketball team, plans on using his extra year of eligibility to return for a fifth year. He said he wants to return because he loves the game of basketball and he wants to help make the Blazers a team to be reckoned with in the MAC.
Typically, the Hood basketball teams play approximately 25 games a season but this year other MAC teams will only have a five-week season, reducing teams to in-conference play only.
Hood College was not the only school to forgo playing winter sports this season. Out of the 18 institutions in the MAC, only 14 women’s basketball teams and 13 men’s teams opted-in to play this season.
Hood College plans for fall sports to resume full team practices on March 1.
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